Category Archives: Local Artist Spotlight

Every week, KEXP features a new local artist with an interview and suggested tracks for where to start. This week we’re highlighting Seattle children’s music project Caspar Babypants, who play KEXP’s Music Heals: Beyond Cancer this Thursday from 6 to 8 PM in the KEXP Gathering Space. Savvy Seattlites will quickly recognize Chris Ballew, akaRead more…

Every Shabazz Palaces record feels like a transmission from a far-off planet. In 2017, the Seattle hip-hop duo took this aesthetic a step further with two records — Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines. The albums collectively chronicle the story of an alien sent to observe a place called Amurderca, only to findRead more…

Every week, KEXP features a new local artist with an interview and suggested tracks for where to start. This week we’re highlighting Seattle children’s band Recess Monkey, who play KEXP’s Deck The Dock this Sunday from 2 to 4 PM. Making children’s music doesn’t mean sacrificing your pop sensibilities. Seattle’s Recess Monkey have a firmRead more…

A catchy melody doesn’t just get stuck in your head – it lives there. You sit with it, sometimes for days or even years, ruminating on it whether you want to or not. Writing just one of these songs can be an accomplishment. Portland songwriter Mo Troper does this 15 times over on his latest album, ExposureRead more…

Noel Brass, Jr. sits at the back of Cafe Vita in Greenwood, quietly sipping on an espresso. He’s immediately recognizable — it’s hard to find a photo of Brass where he isn’t wearing his trademark fedora and glasses. It’s a rainy November afternoon and I can’t think of a better setting to dive into talkingRead more…

There’s something about the booming sound of an analog synthesizer that excites the imagination. Decades of filmmakers and composers have utilized the mesmerizing power of these instruments, from John Carpenter to Vangelis all the way through Hanz Zimmer and Cliff Martinez. So it made sense that Seattle duo Cock & Swan were asked in 2015Read more…

When Darto‘s Nick Merz was 21 years old, he found himself crossing a bridge. Not a metaphorical bridge, but a literal one. As he walked with his friend, the man gave him some sobering criticism. “In all your music, you only ask why,” the man said. “You’re not saying anything. You’re just asking why.” “That stuckRead more…

Every week, KEXP features a new local artist with an interview and suggested tracks for where to start. This week we’re highlighting Seattle songwriter and producer RVN, who recently self-released his LP GREYNEON. Raven Matthews, aka RVN, can’t be put into a box. His willingness to defy expectations from track-to-track and embrace what might be considered “shockingRead more…

Every week, KEXP features a new local artist with an interview and suggested tracks for where to start. This week we’re highlighting Vancouver B.C.’s Woolworm, who performed last night at Pop Montreal, where KEXP is currently on site filming live sessions and doing interviews. Woolworm isn’t afraid to touch on dread and loathing. The bandRead more…

With a name like Dog Mountain, how could you ever fail? The Bellingham indie rock quartet doesn’t need the name as a crutch — they match both the majesty of mountains and dogs by crafting powerful, tastefully arranged guitar-heavy tracks that aptly blend the band’s humor with their own introspective tendencies. With a new album inRead more…